RIP Dogster
 

I feel truly awful sharing this shocking, horrible news, but I just discovered that our beloved dogster passed away on July 20th.

I found out while searching for the link to his blog, which I wanted to read to get in the mood for my trip to India. He had recently revealed his real name on the blog, and my googling brought up links to obituaries and tributes, all celebrating his extraordinary talent and eccentricities.

Apparently he died suddenly at his home in Melbourne at age 62. Fodors will never be the same.

Oh, that's terribly sad. I've only just been on this site for a littke less than a year and had been wondering why he wasn't around much. His humor, wit and knowledge made jim a pleasire to read, and i know he'll be sorely missed.

Would you give the link to his blog?

Thanks for sharing this sad news.

Paule

As the first fodorite to meet dogster face to face, I must say I am deeply saddened. He will, indeed, be missed here. His wit and writing style kept many of us begging for MORE, MORE. May our dogster RIP.

And thank you crosscheck for posting this thread.

Oh no.... I was looking forward to his next trip report. 62 is MUCH too young.
Are you sure it's OUR Dogster? Could you post the link to the obit. Many thanks.

WOW! Happy Travels!

Very sad! He was a special person and it was a joy to read his reports. He certainly will be missed. I am going to India partly because of Dogster's stories.

Incredibly sad news. 2012 has been a yr. of loss on these boards. RIP, indeed.

dogster's blog:

http://thedogster5.wordpress.com/

tribute to dogster:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts...-1226438895126

Sorry we never got to meet him. His responses to my posts and his trip reports provided much entertainment. Only the good die young...

I found the blog, and you'll see that his name is on it: Nigel Triffit, a truly remarkable and talented man:

http://thedogster.wordpress.com/

Obits:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts...-1226438895126

or

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...iffitt/4175472

Do a search on his name and you'll find plenty about him.

Here also, more great blogging.

http://dogster5.wordpress.com/

Oh, crosscheck, I am so sorry to hear that! He was indeed a special person. I enjoyed his writing, especially about India, and I appreciated his travel advice, again, especially about India. He will long be remembered. Thanks for letting us know.

We last communicated in July only days before his passing. His spirit was still strong but his illness was keeping him at home. He tried to be funny and cunning, even complaining about a certain member of Fodors but I did feel that he could not last much longer..

R.I.P. Nig!

I was never priviledged to meet him but I looked forward to his posts!

I had his real name - discovered from a variety of places where he had posted. I am a genealogist and discovered -online - quite by accident, that he was also.
He was truly a man of many talents and interests and the world is a better place because he was willing to share in so many venues!

I'm sure he will be missed in many, many, circles.

What incredibly sad news. He will be mourned by so many.

Oh, no....thank you, crosscheck. I opened your message so hoping that you were using that message heading merely to tease Dogster out of hiding.

What a talented man and terrible loss to us and to so many. His writing sparkled, delighted, and humbled us.

First Andy and now Dogster. Feeling bruised by the losses of these two vibrant members of this on-line community.

Rest in peace indeed, Dogster. Thank you for sharing your enormous talent with us. We will miss you here at the Fodor's Asia board.

What a shock! I missed him as his postings here trailed off, but I didn't realize he had been ill. He made a few comments about not being able to travel, but this is such sad news. He, like Gpanda, instilled so much vibrance into Fodors. RIP Nigel.Thank you for all you did for us here.

oh wow! sad news, very sad. he was funny, witty, odd, informative, etc.

the last time i saw him, he was wearing the craziest pair of socks. now, he and gpanda will be able to talk about the rest of us.

How spooky seeing both dogster and gpanda's emails still in my inbox. It's as if they are still with us.

Ken I still have the pictures from our last GTG with dogster a few months ago. Let me know if you want them.

I can only echo the sentiments of those before me. Dogster will be greatly missed. His wit and talent were truly remarkable and his writing style a work of art. RIP dogster.

Only yesterday, I was telling my husband about Dogster. Last time I was in Bangkok, he declined having dinner with me and Pook, saying he wasn't feeling well. I wasn't quite sure if he really was ill, or if he just didn't want to meet me.

As I was telling the story to my DH, I realized I hadn't seen him on Fodor's since I returned from BKK in April and said that I should give him a shout here. I guess I was already too late.

He was an entertaining character, and I'm sorry he's gone so soon.

Lucy I can reassure you that he was keen on a gtg with you. The man was very frail and he did break 2 ribs the day before our gtg.

I am so sorry to hear this. I always enjoyed his posts.

I have been thinking about Dogster and wondering why there hadn't been any recent posts. When I'd see a "comment removed" on this forum, I'd wonder if it was something from the Dogster. when I first started reading this forum, he quite intimidated me. But then he proved to be so generously helpful when we were planning our '10 India trip . He seemed to be a study in contradictions with his oh so harsh comments and the many more warm, helpful, humanistic ones. His spirit infused this forum for so long. What very sad news.

lcuy, I recently told my husband about him as well! He was very involved during our initial India planning and for sure I will be thinking about him during our trip.

Would love to see an unabridged collection of his deleted posts - I think he had the all-time record.

Such a shock to see this. I hadn't realized he was so ill, although I had missed seeing him here. He was always worth reading, and sometimes worth following. I found out who he was very early, but you didn't need to know that to appreciate his posts here. So sad.

I hope / believe that Fodorites, and scanners of Fodor's boards, will continue to benefit from dogster's comments for years to come. How generously he shared his observations!

RIP, dogster.

aloha pook, if its not too much trouble, i would appreciate those pics. pls send them to my email, if possible. i too, took some pics, but it seems to be lost in the bowels of my photo file. i will look for them, and forward same to you. mahalo.

Ken - email sent.

Oh no, this is sad news indeed. A part of me still hopes that we'll see some entertaining new journey notes from the dog soon. Great traveller, great writer, he'll be missed. RIP dogster.

Happy trails, Dogster, you'll be missed.

His "attendance" at the Boston GTG a few years ago was remarkable.

Oh no. I was wondering why he hasn't posted. Sassafrass, a poster on the cruise forum and I met him last yr. on the Celebrity Constellation and I was charmed by this remarkable man. He was very talented in his filed, produced a number of plays and BTW designed the opening ceremony for the Sydney Olympics. I was sure hoping to meet him on a cruise or on land one day. So, so sorry and sad to hear this.

Yet another one who is very sorry to hear about Dogster. Whilst he has entertained and informed me for so long on this forum I had no idea about his theatrical side. To know that he designed the set for Top Dogs which I would go back to see in a heartbeat shows a whole new side to him.

I'm so sorry to hear this news also and enjoyed his posts and humor so much. I once was in Siem Reap at the same time as he and always was on the lookout for a man that I imagined would be him. He made me laugh and appreciate even more the human condition and brought India, and everyplace else he travelled, completely to life. He will be missed...

Well I have to tell you moremiles how I 1st saw him. It was sort of like that. We found out we would be on the same cruise together and I asked him what he looked liked as he never posted apic of himself. He said 'imagine Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones after and hard night drinking." :D Well the 1st night on the Connie I saw a man who sort of looked like that :-) standing by the elevator. My wife and I walked over that way and I mentioned to her about hitting the martini bar. You see I had told Nigel I never ever had a martini b4 so we agreed to have one together. Well right away he knew it was me so off we went. We talked for more than an hr. like old friends. My wife dubbed him 'hotdog" and as you can imagine the name fit him.

We booked the Equinox later and he mentioned about it being on his "bucket list" and I was hoping he might join us there this fall. Well I will surely hit the martini bar and have one dedicated to him. Happy trails Nigel!!

Thanks for sharing that story jacketwatch. Here's another quote from his correspondence that you all might enjoy and no I don't know what he meant by what he wrote - <i> "I'm the only voluptous sex goddess on Fodor's."

That is truly sad news. How strange that I came to the Fodors Asia forum yesterday for the first time in two years, as we are finally financially able to plan trips to Japan, China and Hong Kong. And I found myself looking at Dogster's blog last night for the first time, remembering how his raw, wonderfully written reports engaged my imagination beyond anything else I have ever read here. And now this news. I shed a tear for a man I have never met and say thank you, Dogster, for sharing a piece of yourself with us. R.I.P. Dogster.

Yes, thanks for sharing that story jacketwatch. Just goes to show you the power of the written word that we can feel so strongly about someone we've never met. Reminds me of when John Lennon died.

So sad.

WOW. Who knew Dogster was such an accomplished theatrical personality? I will miss his wit, humor and helpful travel advice. And it appears that Australia will miss his creative talent. RIP, dogster.

One thought. 62 seems awfully young to check out (especially since I'm older), but he packed so much into those 62 years.